Numbness and tingling in feet - significance

I

ikreim2

Peer Supporter
Hey All,

I've been doing TMS therapy for 4 years now. I've come a long way from pretty chronic hypochondria and all sorts of pain. My biggest challenge for the last few years has been with trying to overcome my anxiety and numbness and tingling in my feet. I've done a significant amount of journaling to try and to dig deep into my rage. I know that a lot of my rage stems from my parents and them neglecting my emotions when I was growing up. My dad was also always very strict with me and has always had a very irrational temper. I have always internalized my anger (hence my TMS symptoms). At any rate, I'd like to ask for those of you who have suffered from numbness and tingling to tell me what it signified to them. I'm just try to figure out how to uncover what the numbness and tingling might symbolize. My speculation relates to having a tough time "letting go" and moving forward (feet may represent movement and walking). This is the type of symbolism I've concluded, though I still feel numbness and tingling in my feet, and have had these sensations since I first discovered TMS. Anyway, if anyone has some insight, please let me! Thanks for listening!

-ikreim2
 
I also want to mention that I feel the numbness and tingling in my legs mostly when I am sitting. When standing up, I don't feel the numbness and tingling.
 
Hey All,

Just wanted to see if anyone had some insight on this. Hope to hear from someone soon.

-ikreim2
 
Hi ikreim2 -

I, too, have tingling and pins and needles (one of the many sensations I get) going from my lower back all the way down to my feet. I don't know that persons with TMS incorporates a particular sensation in a certain area with an actual memory, per se. It's more a matter of the fact that your brain is cutting off oxygen to that area for whatever reason in order to keep you distracted from your emotions. I do know that Louise Hay offers insight into certain pains/certain areas of the body and what it is believed to cause in that area. Not sure if that will help you or not.

Here is an "emotional pain chart" that might be useful to you: http://fractalenlightenment.com/15116/life/the-effect-of-negative-emotions-on-our-health

And here is the Louise Hay reference as to what different body locations mean: http://www.powerfulintentions.org/forum/topics/louise-hay-a-z-for-your-reference and http://active-healing.blogspot.com/2011/02/specific-affirmations-from-louise-hay.html
 
The chakra test and the diagram about what emotions cause pain to what parts of the body are great.
But I wish the diagram had included the head, the mind, so it told about headaches.
I guess it goes without saying that anxiety, stress, worry cause headaches.

When I get a headache I try to tough it out without aspirin or advil and just do deep breathing
and tell myself what's troubling me isn't fatal and will go away. I try distraction and that also helps.

I also believe in affirmations, like Louise Hay suggests.

Thanks, Tigerlilly, for some more good stuff.
 
Hi Walt - according to the other two links besides the chart:

HEADACHES: Self-criticism. Not wanting to accept what is going on
Headaches: Invalidating the self. Self-criticism. Fear.

Affirmation: I love and approve of myself. I see myself and what I do with eyes of love. I am safe.
 
Thanks everyone for your responses. I've been journaling a lot more as of late, especially since I'm getting married in less than one month. :)

Although, the marriage transition has brought up a lot of anxiety that stems from my parents marriage. I'm hoping therapy and journaling continues to help.

Thanks again, everyone!
 
"since I'm getting married in less than one month"

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding!! I think we have a winner in regards to where your pain is coming from! Not that you didn't have the tingling pain before, but the fact that you have a tremendous amount of stress (whether conscious or unconscious) on your plate right now in preparing a wedding and the anticipation of starting a new life. The unconscious cup runneth over, and so the pain (however it may appear - tingling, sharp, numb, etc) is presenting itself as a distraction from your emotions! Keep journaling - you are on the right track!
 
Hi,everyone. I'd have TMS if I was getting married in less than a month.

And ikreim 2, my father died when I was 22 and a month later she married his brother who was a real case.
If you can, stay cool about your parents' marriage. Just let it alone. Let them live their lives and
you live yours. It may not be easy, but maybe give it a try and see how it goes.
 
Thanks Walt and tigerlilly! My anxiety has actually gotten worse since the time I got engaged leading up to the wedding. I've been journaling on and off for the last year. Though, lately, I've been doing a lot more journaling to help with the anxiety. I've taken the journaling class with Dr. John Stracks (a TMS physician based in Chicago) already so I'm pretty familiar with the journaling methods. Its just been really hard to control the anxiety. I would be ok with the numbness and tingling without the anxiety, but as you all know, this is a process that requires patience. I'm really happy to have the support on the forum, though :).
 
I had that same tingling. What a cool word for such a scary thing. Pins and needles is probably better. It's a conditioned response to sitting. Some people tell me they get pins when they stand only, sitting takes it away.

It's the reduction of oxygen to the nerves, by the brain, letting you know that you're out of balance. anxiety-wise. The docs told me it would never go away, but it did of course.

It will leave you when you re-balance and become happier. Happiness is the reduction of conflict, uniting the mind in peace.

SO
 
I have lived with a tremendous amount of anxiety over the years and it got much worse last year when I started having some success with TMS and my chronic pain symptoms. One thing that has really helped me with my anxiety was what I learned on a short video on this site. Perhaps you can find it but I am not sure what it is called. Basically, the video recommends noticing the corresponding physical sensation that accompanies the anxiety. Meaning, when you realize you are feeling anxiety, ask yourself how do you know that, how is it manifesting in your body? Perhaps one signal is you have a racing heart. Well, then you greet the racing heart(I may be completely paraphrasing here). "Hello racing heart. You are okay to be." Don't just say it, feel the sensation and welcome it, accept it. Then move on to the next physical sensation you notice...dizzy sensation, sour stomach, feeling hot, clammy skin...whatever it is. Welcome, feel and accept each sensation and then move onto the next. You need to focus on the physical though... not something like "feeling of dread, fear I'm about to die..." I guess you could try those if you want but what worked for me was really noticing how the anxiety was being translated or showing up in my body and then being with it rather than resisting or trying to run from it. I was really amazed how quickly and effectively this took the edge off my anxiety and what a simple exercise it is once you get used to it. My husband loves to shop in big supermarkets and places like Costco. I dreaded going to Costco because I often had mini panic attacks while we were there. In the past when this would happen I would want to get through faster, keep moving, try to distract myself until it was over. It was as though I was trying to deny it was happening, pretend like I was okay when I actually felt like I was about to pass out. Then I started using this technique. I would sometimes sit down in one of their fancy loungers and I would start with the most overwhelming sensation "hello head spinning. You are okay to be." And then I would just breathe and welcome the head spinning. It was really hard at first and sometimes terrifying. What if I actually did pass out or the head spinning got a lot worse. But what I discovered was the more I let it be and accepted it, the better it got. That gave me courage. I am not saying I don't have any anxiety but it is so much better. Its fun to shop at Costco again! If you haven't tried this already, I hope it works for you too.
 
I really like the way you handle anxiety and dizziness, Anne. Feel it, accept it, don't fight it or be afraid of it
and catastrophize about it. Breathe deeply and be with the feeling. Dr. Sarno writes that anxiety and dizziness
are two more ways that TMS works in us.

I have had head spinning and consider it to be one of the worst ways we get clobbered by TMS,
but thank heaven if I sit down and just do deep breathing and tell myself it's not serious and will go away, it does.
 
Steve Ozanich said:
I had that same tingling. What a cool word for such a scary thing. Pins and needles is probably better. It's a conditioned response to sitting. Some people tell me they get pins when they stand only, sitting takes it away.

It's the reduction of oxygen to the nerves, by the brain, letting you know that you're out of balance. anxiety-wise. The docs told me it would never go away, but it did of course.

It will leave you when you re-balance and become happier. Happiness is the reduction of conflict, uniting the mind in peace.

SO
Click to expand...
Brilliant piece Steve and gives me hope. My consultant tells me I have damage and it could get worse. I'm 95% sure I have TMS but still have a slight doubt- I do have a herniated disc on the S5L1 joint. I first got sciatica when I was abot to leave my wife of 31 years due to her drinking. The sciatica went from one leg to 2 with mostly pins and needles as I got very stressed in a new relationship which I ended. I have a new partner and it does not seem to be getting any better - it goes up and down a bit. We do have a very physical relationship which sometimes helps the tingling and sometimes makes it a bit worse but can be a great affirmation. I am slowly dealing with my tension and anxiety and trying to enjoy my life more and not stress so much. Thanks for all your great posts and affirming pins and needles can go!!
 
Same story here, I get it sitting down or when in an awkward position.
paresthesia is the technical term I believe and one of the thing that worries me the most having been told I have pinched nerves etc.
 
I'm often much better when sitting and it can almost go when driving. It helps when I don't stress about it and just try to get on worth my life and enjoy it as Walt advises. I guess we have to look at the stressors in our life- past and present and see how hey fit with the TMS. Dr's can really stress me out with all the technical terms and doom and gloom. In my opinion having a 100% positive approach is really important. I have got over numbness in my hands by admitting it is TMS and relaxing my shoulders. This gives me great hope I can get over my tingling. Dr Sarno talks of all sorts of problems in backs and seeing those people who are fine and those that are not. He also says we can all heal. My last consultant told me to do anything I liked physically unless it hurt - which helped - but TMS is a crafty problem and so I have tingling now. If my MRI shows no change from the last one 10 months ago I can be confident it is TMS I hope you can work things out for yourself.
 
Jon, we have a choice: let our symptoms and TMS pain be in charge of us,
or we be in charge of it/them. I took charge of my back pain by telling myself it was 100 percent TMS,
from boyhood stresses due to my parents and older brother. When I journaled about that I learned they
had TMS repressed emotions of anger themselves and it helped me to forgive them.

I try to find things that make me happy and feel joy. I practice deep breathing, living in the present and
not the past or future (unless, for the future, I sing the Monty Python song from"Life of Brian":
"Look on the Bright Side of Life." Watch that movie. You'll laugh your sides out.
It's irreligious, and I'm a lifelong Catholic, but I just laugh along with it.
 
ikreim2 said:
I know that a lot of my rage stems from my parents and them neglecting my emotions when I was growing up. My dad was also always very strict with me and has always had a very irrational temper. I have always internalized my anger (hence my TMS symptoms).
Click to expand...

Boy, does that ever sound familiar, ikriem. That bit about your dad with a "very irrational temper" sounds like a perfect way to inculcate internalized rage in his children, manifesting as TMS pain symptoms later on.

The tingling in my feet has gone down as I've progressed with my TMS healing, but is still there occasionally (although LBP and sciatica are my most prevalent TMS symptoms). I did know a Stanford doctor who's LBP began as tingling in his feet around the time of his 40th birthday, which was also when he had his first divorce and began drinking on top of the pain pills the docs prescribed for his LBP. So, based on my experience and what I've seen and heard, tingling in the feet is a very, very common TMS symptom.

No one could figure out, incidently, what was wrong with the Stanford doctor when the tingling in his feet first began. But when it progressed to LBP, the osteoarthritis-spinal degeneration diagnosis was offered as an explanation. I'd say the real reasons for his TMS were his two divorces, loss of his house, alcohol and drug dependency, plus being fired from Stanford for drinking. But behind it all was his success driven over-achieving personality and perfectionism.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jon
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top